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24 Apr 2017

King Jird near Tanoumah – Asir Mountains

Whilst birding the Tanoumah area in April 2017
I came across a King Jird Meriones rex. The animal was making a
squeaking sound reminiscent of a bird, so I was looking in a small bush when
Phil Roberts who was with me pointed out the Jird on the rocks below where I
was looking. It ran along a row of rocks along the edge of a small cultivated
field before disappearing into a hole and not reappearing. The King Jird occurs
in the highlands of the southwestern Arabian Peninsula, from near Mecca in
Saudi Arabia south to near Aden in Yemen. In Saudi
Arabia the species has been reported from 1,350 to 2,200 metres above sea
level. This jird occurs lives in large burrows amongst bushes, preferring
raised areas bordering agricultural land. It is active in the evening and early
morning. It lives in burrows which it shares with other rodents and lizards.
They are reported as common throughout their range. Althoughhave seen the King Jird on a number of
occasions this is the first time I have seen one properly and also the first
time I have managed to get a photo of one. Normally they are seen briefly
disappearing down their burrows.

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About The Blog

I hope you enjoy browsing my latest images & notes from the field, the majority are from Dhahran (eastern Saudi Arabia) as well as bird ringing in Bahrain. Most of the photographs are of birds but I will also include other interesting natural history shots when I take them.

About The Photographs

I am an amateur photographer who goes birdwatching and takes the occasional picture with birdwatching being my primary interest. I do birdwatch in an area that has good light for photogrpahy and manage to take quite a few photographs each day.

All photos on this blog are copyright and may not be copied or reproduced without my permission. Please ask if you would like to use any of my photographs for any reason.